Emergency gas-shut-off fire valve



July 29, 1930; L. p. LOVEKIN 1,771,716

EMERGEN CY GAS SHUT-OFF FIRE VALVE Filed Oct. 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet iTO METER FROM GAS MAN July 29, 1930; 1.. D. LOVEKIN 1,771,716

EIERGENCY GAS SHUT-OFF FIRE VALVE 4 Filed Oct. 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented July 29, 1930 UNITED STAT* LUTHER D. LOVEKIN, OF WYNNEWOOD,PENNSYLVANIA EMERGENCY GAS-SHUT-OFF FIRE VALVE Application filed October20, 1927. Serial No. 227,382.

My invention relates to an automatic safety cut-01f valve for use in gassupply lines and operative in case of tire, eitherautomatically byrise'of temperature at the valve or manual- 1y, preferably fromoutsidethe building.

A- purpose of my invention is to provide an inexpensive valve of thetype indicated, particularly well adapted to perform the dutiesintended. p

A further purpose is to mount a manuallycontrolled operating plunger inalinement with the stem of a'fuse type of automatic cutoff valve. Ispring-press the valve toward closure, normally preventing closure by amechanically weakfusible member under the stem and adapt the cut-off forhand operation by means of the plunger alined with the stem. The plungercloses the valve by rupturing the fusible member and is preferablyoperated from outside the building by either water pressure or bymechanical means.

A further purpose is to relieve any rising pressure inside the gas meteror like device inthe gas line aheadof the valve after the operation ofthe cut-off by permitting leakage after the operation of the cut-ofi'around the outside ofthe stem of the valve.

, I normally seal against such leakage with the fusible material.. Inthe event of fire this fusible seal melts away before the temperaturehas become such as to produce any undue rise in gas pressure within themeter.

A further purpose is to support'manually controlled means for operatingafuse type of automatic cut-01f valve upon a removable cap alined withthe valve.

Further purposes will appear in the specifi cation and in the claims. v

I haveelected to show twoonly ofthe many different forms of myinvention, selecting forms that are efficient andpractical in operationand which well illustrate theprinciples involved.

Figure'l is an elevation, part section, show- 7 ing one form ofmycut-oft device inserted in the gas supply line of a building, with meansfor manually operating the cut-off from outside the building.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudiml section of structureshownin Figure 1,

the, section being taken in the plane of the paper.

Figure 3 is a vertical fragmentary section illustrating a somewhatdifferent form of my invention installed in the gas supply line of abuildingon the service side of the supply meter, inside of the building,andillus- 'trati-ngmeans extending outside the building for manually thebuilding.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional elevation to enlargedscale of the valve shown in Figure 3.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all figures. 1

Describing in illustration, and not in lim itation, and referring to thedrawings 7 One of the widest applications of my invention shouldbe inprotecting dwellings and for this reason it is illustrated in theassembly views 1 and 3 as connected in the gas supply line of adwelling, the cut-ofl device 10 being insertedin the gas line 11 on theservice side of the supply meter 12. p

' In the event of fire the cutoff may be effected manually from outsidethe building at 13, by-a'fireman or other person.

If the manual cut-off is neglected and-the fire progressessuificientlyto heat the valve the cutoff'b'ecomes automatic.

The valve body 1 1 is of globe type and has inlet andoutlet compartments15and 16 with the usual partition 17 of the globe type of valve. l m iThe body has transversely alined openings 18, 19 and 20 respectively intheoutside wall of one of the compartments through the par tition andthrough theoutside wall of the 'othercompartment. A valve seat21 extendsaround theopening 19 through the partition. Inlet and outlet connectionsof the gas line are shown at 11 and 22 respectively.

The movable valve member comprises a disc 23 mounted upon anintermediate portion of astem2i." t

The lower portion of the stem loosely passes closing the valve fromoutside through the opening 20 in theoutside wall of the compartment IGandleakage around the stem is preventedby a closure that comprises a capmember 26 threadedupon an external 100 V 'of the building.

flange 27 of the body around the opening and a disc heat-sensitiveelement 28 of material that is mechanically weak at ordinarytemperatures and fusible at abnormal temperatures considered dangerouslyhigh. I V

The cap is bored axially at 29 below the bottom of the stem with adiameter somewhat larger than that of the stem and the discheatsensitive element 28 rests in the cap across the upper end of thebore supporting the bottom of the stem so as to hold the valve open.

The valve member 23 is coaxial with its stem and is clamped to placebetween a shoulder 30 on the lower side and a nut31 upon the upper sidethreaded upon an enlarged portion 32 of the stem. I

The upper end of the valve unit is received in a cap or hollow plug 33threaded into the body opening 18 and the valve unit may be removedthrough this opening when the plug is removed.

Preferably the valve disc is provided with an upwardly extending annularapron 34 that loosely fits'an interior bore 35 of the plug. The disk isspring-pressed toward its seat by a spiral spring 36 compressed betweenthe discand the interior of the cap;

I mount a plunger 37 upon the cap member alined with the stem of thevalve. This plunger is adapted to engage the top of the stem and toclose the valve against the 'resistance of the mechanically weak heat;element 28, shearing through the heat element.

In the form shown in Figures 1 and 2 the upper end of the plunger isenlarged to form a piston which operates inside a suitable cylindricalcasing 38 and is preferably circumferentially grooved at 39. 7

The casing 38 is provided with one or more drain holes 40 at the bottomand with a cover 41 to which water pressure connection is made at 42,the pressure connection pipe being-provided with a valve 43 that ispreferably controlled from outside the building.

In Figure 1 the stem 44 of the water valve is extended through thefoundation wall 45 An outside handle or wrench grip 46 being providedthat is desirably placed inside a suitable box 47.. In

Figure 1 this box is cylindrical and is providedwith a removable screwcap 48.

Desirably the lower end of the plunger is bored at 49 to receive theupwardly. extending end of the stem. This, however, is to a coinsiderable extenta matter of preference.

The mechanically I weak heat element beneath the bottom of the stemshould besufiici'ently strong atjnormal temperatures to supporttheweight of the movable valve member and in the structure illustrated inFigures 1 and 2 also the weight of the plunger.

If the disc heat sensitive element fails by fusion, the spring 36 snapsthe valve shut usually without any immediate change in the position oftheplun'ger I have illustrated both in Figure 2 and in Figure 4 aninwardly extending body flange 50 around the lower end of the stem. Thisinside flange assists somewhat in guiding the stem, but where desiredmay be omitted,

Obviously either compartment of the valve may be made inlet and theother the outlet and in Figure 2 I have illustrated the inlet as beingupon the upper or disc side of the body while in Figure 4 I show theinlet 0on1 partment as that upon the lower side, that is upon the sideaway from the disc valve.

The first arrangement is usually preferable in that it permits escape ofgas imprisoned in the line ahead of the valve as from the meter, asalready explained but the second arrangement has some advantages.

With the first arrangement if the disc 28 melts away, letting the valvesnap shut, any rise in gas pressure inside the meter is relieved byleakage around the lower end of the stem, a leakage that is normallyprevented by the sealing heat element inside the cap 26. I

Figures 2'and 4 show different forms of plungers carried in alinementwith the stem of the valve by the cap or plug member 33 and adapted for.manual operation for closing the valve against the resistance of theheatsensitive element by sharing 'the heat-sensitive element.

In Figure'4 the plunger comprises a rod provided at its lower end with ashoe 51 adapted to engage the top of the stem. The rod extends upwardlythrough a gland 52 upon the top of the plug andmakes operatingconnection at 53 with arocker arm 54.

The rocker 54 is pivoted at v55 upon an upwardly extending bracket 56that is preferably an integral portion of the bodyot the valve andis-prov-ided with an operating arm 57 having flexible connection 58through a conduit 59 to a reel 60 mounted in a box 61 outside thebuilding;

Manual operation of the valve is effected v by opening the door 62 ofthe box and winding the handle 63 of the reel sutficiently to shear theheat element by the downward pressure upon the plunger. 7

While I have illustrated thelower compartment in Figure 4 as the inletcompartment, and the upper compartment as the outlet compartment it willbe'understood that the reverse arrangement w ll often be morevvariations and modifications to meet 'indi} vidual whim or particularneed will doubtbecome evident to others skilled in the art, to obtainall or partof the benefits of fit my invention without copying thestructure shown and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fallwithin the reasonable spiritand scope of my invention.

It will be noted that the stem 64: of the hydraulic piston 37 carriesclosure members presenting faces 65 and 66 to engage respectively withseats 67 and 68 at the upper and lower positions of the piston to shutoff leakage from the gas supply into the cylinder.

The member having the face 65'can be set against its seat 67 bytightening up the nut 26 so as to maintain gas tightness at this,

r the most vulnerablepart of the system.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1 1. A cut-oif valve adapted for manual operation spring-pressed toward closure and a heat sensitive elementnormally blocking the spring-pressed member from closure, said elementbeing adapted to be sheared. when volitionally closing the valve. I

2. A fusible type of automatic cut-off valve having a valvespring-pressed toward closure, normally prevented from closure by amechanically weak heat element and an opening in the side of the valvebody suficient to pass the valve, in combination with a plug memberclosing the opening, and means external to the valve supported thereonadapted to rupture said heat element and close the valve. 1

3. An automatic gas-cut-oif valveforuse in the gas supply line of abuilding, located in the building, a fusible element restraining closureof the valve, water pressure oper ated means for rupturing the fusibleelement and forcing the valve to close and a hand 1 control for thewater supply means accessible outside of the building.

4. In a gas cut-off valve adapted to be inserted into a gas supply line,a globe valve body having inlet and outlet compartments and a partitionwall therebetween and having transversely alin d openings progressivelysmaller respectively in the outside wall of one of the compartments, inthe partition and in the outside wall of the other compartment, a valveseat around the opening in the partition, a disc inside the compartmenthaving the larger opening and adapted to engage the seat to close theopening in the partition, a stem supporting the disc an intermediatepoint and extending through the opening in the partition and the openingin the said other compartment, and a closure of the opening in saidother compartment comprising a me chanically weak fusible membernormally supporting the end of the stem so as to maintain the'disc awayfrom its seat andremovable means for holding the fusible member inplace, in combination with a capclosing the opening in the outer wall ofthe first compartment, spring means within the cap pressing the disctoward closure, a plunger alined with the stem adapted to force the stemthrough the fusiblemember to close the valve and means external to thevalve for operating the plunger.

5. In a gas' cut-olf valve adapted to be inserted into a gas supplyline, a globe valve body having inlet and outlet compartments andapartition wall therebetween and having transversely alined openingsprogressively smaller, respectively in the outside wall of one ofthecompartments, in the partition and in the outside wall ofthe othercompartment, a valve seat around the opening in the partitionfa discinsidethe com- 1 partment of the larger opening adapted to engage theseat to close the opening in the partitioma stem'supporting the disc atan intermediate point and extending through the opening in the partitionand the opening in the said other compartment, and a closure of theopening ins-aid other compartment comprising a mechanically weak fusiblemember normally supporting the end of the stem so as toinaintainthe'disc away from its seat and removable means for holding the fusiblemember to place,in combination with a cap closing the opening in theouter wall ofthe first compartment, spring means alined with the stempressing the disc toward closure, plunger meansalined with the stem andadapted to engage the end of the stem and supported by the cap, acylinder supportthe larger opening, adaptedto engage the if seat toclose the opening in the partition, a stem supporting the d1sc at anintermediate point and extending through the opening in thepart1t1on andthe openinginthe" said other compartment, and a closure for the .openlng111 said other compartment comprising a mechanically weak fusible membernormally supporting the end of the stem so as to maintain the disc awayfrom its seat and removable means for holding the fusible member toplace, in combination with a cap closing the openingin the outer wall ofthe first compartment, spring means alined with the stem pressing thedisc toward closure, plunger means alined with the stem and adapted toengage the end of the stem and supported by the cap,a cylinder supportedby the cap encasing the plunger, water-pressure connection with thecylinder atthe outer end thereof, a valve in the connection controllingthe admission of water 5 to the cylinder and an operating handle thereofoutside the building. 7

7. In a protective device for closing gas valves in case of fire, a gaspipe, a springpressed fusible-elenient-restrained closing 10 valveconnected therewith and located inside the house, a power-operatedclosing device for the valve adapted to shear the fusible element and adevice external to the value extending outside the house foroperation-of the said closing device.

8. In a protective device for shutting off the gas'supply in case offire, a gas pipe, a valve connected therewith located within the houseand having a closing spring, a fusible element restraining the valvefrom spring closure but permitting closure with greater I pressure, anhydraulic cylinder connected to the house water supply, a piston thereinadapted to add pressure to the spring pressure to force the valve shutand a control valve for the'water connection accessible for operationfrom the outside of the. house.

9. In a device for closing gas valves in case of fire, a gas pipe, anormally open gas valve spring-pressed toward closureand permittingforced closure, a fusible element restraining closure and fluid-operatedmeans for bringing pressure upon the valve additional to the springpressure to rupture the fusible element and force closure.

' 10. In a protective device for closing gas valves in case of fire, agas pipe, a gas valve in the pipe spring-pressed toward closure, a stemconnected with the valve, aefusible- 40 element of weak mechanicalstrength in line with the stem and supporting it against valve closureand means for forcing the valvestein against the'fusible-element toovercome its support and to close the valve and means outside the housewhereby the first Ineansmay be set in motion. 7 I

11. In a device for closingqgas valves in case of fire, a gas valvenormally held open, an hydraulic cylinder connected with a water supply,a piston in the cylinder, a stem from the iston and connections adaptedto close the gas valve, closures carried by the piston and stem andadapted to protect from leakage of water into the body of the gas valve,

and means for controlling the water supply cooperating with the pistonand connections for closing the gas valve.

LUTHER D. 'LQVEKIN.

